Writermom's Corner

I fell in love with books and reading before I discovered that I also love to write. From tomes that I used to borrow daily in my school's library such as the Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, Dana Girls and Hardy Boys series during my elementary days, I moved on to Sweet Valley High, Sweet Dreams and mystery novels by Agatha Cristie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ellery Queen and Erle Stanley Gardner when I entered high school. I also grew up surrounded by volumes of Readers' Digest that my mom used to subscribe to so I was basically raised to become a reader.

I was in the fourth grade when I started keeping a journal. Encouraged by a close friend, I kept on filling several notebooks with daily happenings in my life. I also dabbled in poetry for a time. Perhaps those were the beginnings of my becoming a writer. I only stopped maintaining my diaries when I graduated from college and became busy with work. Still, my first job in a government agency involved writing agricultural articles for two of their publications that targeted farmers. Not bad for a Development Communication graduate. Ironically, I didn't major in journalism but took up educational communication. Yet, my work life continued pointing me towards writing pursuits. I would also like to believe that the strong influence and wonderful encouragement of my mentor and friend, DevCom Prof. Ila Virginia C. Ongkiko, my dear Ate Ivy, had a big, big part of why I am a writermom now, just like she was.

In 1997, after being a stay-at-home-mom for several years, I was inspired to create a family newsletter with the intention to simply keep in touch with friends and relatives whom we haven't seen in a long time. My first full-length essay which I placed on the front page was about the medical trials we went through with my third son James. By 1999, I tried submitting a revised version of his story to Baby Magazine and to my surprise, they called and asked for pictures. The two-page article came out in their December issue. I was simply elated to see my byline in print, I have not thought to ask if I was going to be paid!

In 2001, my mom bought a new computer which was finally internet-ready (the old one could only cough out Windows 95 programs). I began joining e-groups that cater to my interests and amazingly found new sets of friends whom I still treasure to this day.

In my parenting e-group, we exchanged stories about motherhood and our children among a myriad of other topics. One member shared a painful experience of almost losing her child to a critical illness that I had an urge to share my own. I emailed a copy of James' article to the group and was heartened by the positive responses. Little did I know that it would be the start of my so-called freelance writing "career".

Ms. Karen Galarpe, also a member of the e-group and then editor of the Home and Family section for Good Housekeeping magazine, asked me to write an article for them. I readily agreed even without having an idea if I will get paid for that. When she asked me to write a second time, I shyly asked if there would be any compensation for taking in writing assignments. (Yup, I was THAT ignorant!) Imagine my delight when she said yes.

So, in a nutshell, that's how I started being in this business. As for staying in, I have to say that maintaining professionalism at all times (such as meeting deadlines, submitting well-researched and meticulously-written works as well as keeping genial relationships with editors and fellow writers) is an essential part of the job.

Currently, I still am a work-at-home-mom to four wonderful boys, wife to a supportive and loving husband and queen of a household that keeps me on my toes everyday. I have vowed to not having any more house helpers as the last two I got were too much for my peace of mind to handle. I am grateful that three of my kids are now capable of doing simple tasks around the house when they have no classes and that my hubby lets me take days-off or extended sleep hours when I sorely need them.

I just wish I can finally have the energy and inspiration to write those books my mind had been cooking for quite some time now ...